THREE Filipino-owned enterprises bested their contemporaries from other member-countries of Asean for their exemplary businesses in their respective fields.
The Asean Business Advisory Council (BAC) conferred the top accolades to the Philippines’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) Home Healthlink, FELTA Multimedia Inc. and Esquire Financing.
Grand prizes in the SME Priority Sector were claimed by the first two businesses, while the latter brought home a special award for its role in MSME financing.
Other winning MSMEs were from Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore.
The annual Asean Business Awards honors outstanding and successful enterprises in the region that contribute to its economic growth and prosperity.
Asean BAC Chairman for the Philippines and Go Negosyo Founder Joey Concepcion lauded them for their victory that shows the innovation and passion of homegrown MSMEs.
“There are 71 million MSMEs in the Asean region, accounting for almost all of the total establishments. In the Philippines, these small entrepreneurs also account for a large majority of the total enterprises,” he said.
“Considering their important role in job generation and in our collective economic recovery, we must continue to support them,” he added.
Inspired by their triumph
THE winners could not contain their happiness upon receiving the good news shared to them by the country’s entrepreneurial czar.
“Receiving the Asean Business Awards 2022 for SME Innovation is a validation of our emphasis on science, technology and innovation as a critical enabler for sustainable development, particularly on economic growth, social development, human resource capital, technology-driven jobs revolution and environmental sustainability in Asean,” said Mylene Abiva, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of FELTA Multi-Media.
The company has pioneered robotics technology education in the Philippines. It has introduced new teaching methods, tools and curriculum in both public and private schools.
Driven by its recent win, Home Healthlink will keep on providing home health care, including transitional, intermediate, health rehabilitation, wellness, standalone, and palliative care for house-bound Filipino patients.
“Receiving this award has only given us more drive and inspiration to continue fulfilling our mission…of providing safe, convenient, responsive, cost-effective, and caring hospital-grade medical services from the comforts of one’s own home,” noted CEO Dr. Sheila Acosta.
Sharing the same sentiment with Home Healthlink, Special Award winner Esquire Financing now has more reasons to keep on providing access to funding for MSMEs to spur their future growth.
The company brought collateral-free loans for small businesses nationwide. Even during the pandemic, it continued lending to enterprises, and has vowed to partner with the national government to help businesses recover. Esquire also operates a non-profit microfinancing arm, Help Foundation.
Other regional initiatives
THE Asean Business Awards pushes key industries that bring the region to the world’s economy. It encourages regional cohesiveness and global competitiveness. This recognition is just one of the many initiatives organized by the Asean BAC.
According to Concepcion, the legacy project of his chairmanship of the regional organization—the Asean Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network (AMEN)—continues to be actively expanded and sustained across the region.
AMEN is a public-private partnership platform aimed at supporting regional MSMEs via mentorship and training based on modules used by the Go Negosyo program Kapatid Mentor Microenterprises, which it conducts alongside the Department of Trade and Industry.
Phase 1 of AMEN has been piloted in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Set to be implemented in the whole region is Phase 2 with the support of the Japan-Asean Integration Fund, which funded AMEN for a second time.